The Boggart Man
by JBrocks917
Summary: What if Harry Potter's Boggart wasn't a Dementor, but something worse...and a lot more personal? When Harry faces his Boggart, it unleashes a spiral of events that change his whole story. Whether our tale will still end with "All was well"? You'll just have to read. [No pairings / Rated T for mentions of (SPOILER: child abuse and neglect), but there's nothing graphic at all]
1. In Which Harry's Boggart is Revealed

**A few sentences are taken from 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'. Don't own Harry Potter, though I don't know why I have to say this, seeing as we're on** _ **fanfiction**_ **. Where's common sense when you need it? Anyway, enjoy!**

 **EDITED 6/20: A few changes in wording, added sentence**

* * *

The room went quiet. Harry thought… What scared him most in the world?

His first thought was Lord Voldemort — a Voldemort returned to full strength. But before he had even started to plan a possible counterattack on Boggart-Voldemort, a horrible image came floating to the surface of his mind...

Uncle Vernon, raising his hand to hit Harry, yelling, "Freak!" at the top of his lungs, while Dudley snickered, and Aunt Petunia watched with a satisfied smile.

What would happen then? The whole class would know how he was treated at Privet Drive, and then they would tell their friends, and their friends would tell their parents, and their parents would tell the _Daily Prophet_ , and then the whole entire Wizarding world would know…

Harry shivered, then looked around, hoping no one had noticed. Many people had their eyes shut tight. Ron was muttering to himself, "Take its legs off." Harry was sure he knew what that was about. Ron's greatest fear was spiders.

"Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin.

Harry felt a lurch of fear. He wasn't ready. How could you make something like _that_ less frightening? But he didn't want to ask for more time; everyone else was nodding and rolling up their sleeves.

One by one, they each took on the Boggart. Harry couldn't help but be envious of their Boggarts; fears like snakes and mummies were normal. But of course, he being Harry Potter, nothing could be normal for him. Finally, once Ron had defeated his spider, it was his turn. He raised his wand, trying to ignore the shaking of his hand, but —

"Here!" said Professor Lupin suddenly, hurrying forward. _Crack!_

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He wouldn't have to face the Boggart, now.

But, of course, it still turned into Uncle Vernon. Everyone gasped as he raised his meaty fists, glared straight at Harry, and yelled, "Freak!"

Harry backed against the wall, as the class watched Boggart-Uncle Vernon scream.

"You ungrateful, nasty child! You don't deserve to make friends, or learn magic, because all you do is put _everyone_ you meet in danger. Your parents died, protecting you. Ron was knocked out by a giant stone chess piece, because you let him follow you into the third-floor corridor. Hermione was Petrified, because you couldn't be bothered to destroy the diary while you still had it.

"No matter what people tell you, all you are is a freakish, no-good, orphan boy, who intruded upon the lives of good, respectable, _happy_ families that were better off without you. You deserved _every single second_ of your starvation and beatings."

Over the course of Uncle Vernon's rant, he had gotten closer and closer to Harry, so that now, they were almost touching noses. Harry cowered, tears stinging his eyes, and waited for the blow that was sure to come. Uncle Vernon backed away, so he could get in a large hit, but then —

Professor Lupin had seemingly come to his senses, for now, he jumped in front of Harry, and with a large _crack!_ , the Boggart — Harry had forgotten that it was just an imitation of his uncle — turned into a large, silver orb that hung lazily in the air.

Harry took a shuddering breath, choked out, "May I be excused?" and rushed out of the room.

* * *

 **What do you think so far? Is it any good? R &R!**


	2. In Which Harry's Tears Are Shed

**And we're back! So soon, and twice as long, just for you guys. :) I really didn't expect so much positive feedback! You all made my day. I used another few lines from PoA (though I tried to edit them), disclaimers still stand, R &R, and enjoy the next chapter!**

 **EDITED 6/20: A few changes in wording**

* * *

Previously…

 _Harry thought… What scared him most in the world?_

 _..._

 _Uncle Vernon, raising his hand to hit Harry, yelling, "Freak!" at the top of his lungs…_

 _..._

" _No matter what people tell you, all you are is a freakish, no-good, orphan boy, who intruded upon the lives of good, respectable, happy families that were better off without you…"_

 _..._

 _Harry took a shuddering breath, choked out, "May I be excused?", and rushed out of the room._

* * *

Harry ran, not knowing which way he was going, the only thing registering in his brain was that _he had to get out of that room_.

He turned a corner, and found a tiny niche hidden nicely behind a tapestry. He went in, curled up into a ball, and buried his face in his knees, trying desperately not to cry.

Uncle Vernon was right, he didn't deserve any of this — maybe it was all a hallucination, and he was still just a freaky boy all alone in his cupboard… He didn't want to imagine it, waking up in his small, cramped cupboard — but maybe he had already woken up; after all, he was in a small, dark space, isolated…

"Harry? Where are you?"

Harry ignored the voice and continued his train of thought.

What would he do then? He would just go back to being the slave of the Dursleys, cooking, cleaning, and being ignored and hated at the same time… But he would be able to deal with it — after all, that was the life he had lived for the past twelve years.

"Harry! Is that you?"

The tapestry was ripped open, and Harry looked up, to be faced with the two worried faces of his best friends.

Though, would they still be his best friends? They probably didn't even want to talk to him, now that they had seen how much of a freak he was — yes, all they were here for was to yell at him for tricking them, telling them that he _wasn't_ a freak...

"Harry, are you okay?" asked Ron, as he and Hermione climbed into the small space and shut the tapestry behind them.

"Professor Lupin dismissed the class right after you left, so we went immediately to see you, I was so worried —" rambled Hermione, stopping when Harry let out a shuddering breath.

"Oh, Harry," said Hermione, and something broke inside Harry. To his embarrassment, he began to cry, the tears flowing thick and fast, and his chest aching.

Ron and Hermione huddled closer as Harry, for the first time in his life, allowed himself to break down.

* * *

"I-I'm s-sorry," said Harry, blushing profusely as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower.

They had missed the rest of the day's classes, just staying in that little hole behind the tapestry until Harry had calmed down.

"It's fine. I think you needed that," said Hermione, smiling warmly.

"Yeah, Harry. I knew that something was wrong, seeing as there were bars on your window and all, but _really_ —"

Ron went into a large rant about how much of an stupid arsehole Uncle Vernon and and the rest of the Dursleys were, causing Harry to give him a small smile. It was a testament to how much Hermione hated the Dursleys that she didn't even reprimand Ron when he used especially colorful language.

"— and, wait a second, didn't the Boggart say something about starvation and beatings?" said Ron, he and Hermione pausing to look at him worriedly.

Harry ducked his head. "No, it's nothing, just —"

"Are you _sure_ it's nothing?" asked Hermione, crossing her arms. "We all know how much you downplay things."

"Yes, it's nothing, all right?" said Harry irritably, speeding up slightly so Ron and Hermione couldn't keep questioning him.

Apparently, they had decided to drop it for now, so when Ron and Hermione caught up, Harry and Ron just talked about the upcoming Quidditch match while Hermione listened.

* * *

"Who do you think the Boggart Man was?"

"Maybe it was a teacher!"

"No, there's no way a teacher would do that. It was _definitely_ a babysitter. Everyone knows how evil they are."

The story of his encounter had spread throughout Hogwarts, so Harry had taken to avoiding everyone to keep them from pestering him for answers that he rather would not give. Soon, Ron and Hermione had become his personal bodyguards, keeping everyone away from him so that they couldn't interrogate him in the middle of the halls.

In the absence of his answers, the whole of Hogwarts had begun whispering to each other when they thought he wasn't looking, or even when the knew he was, about the newly dubbed 'Boggart Man'.

Harry was used to rumours, but these ones made him both upset and ashamed. This was the _one_ secret he didn't want Hogwarts to know about, but now, they would know he was a freak, and they would kick him out, and then he would have to go back to living under the stairs —

"Harry! Are you okay?" said Ron, tapping him on the shoulder.

Harry flinched, then shook himself. Lately, he had been having panic attacks that hit at random moments, and caused him to hyperventilate, shiver uncontrollably, and more.

Harry didn't know why the thought of Privet Drive caused him to be terrified now. He had lived with it for the past twelve years, and never once had he had a panic attack. He supposed it was because his secret was now in the open, but he wasn't sure.

"Yeah, sorry," said Harry, giving him a weak grin. "Go on, go to Hogsmeade. I'll be fine."

It was Halloween morning, and the date of the first Hogsmeade visit.

Harry had asked Professor McGonagall if he could still go to Hogsmeade a few weeks before, but his professor had regretfully informed him that only a legal guardian could sign the form, (though she didn't say it outright) no matter how horrible the guardian happened to be.

There was nothing they could do. Ron had called Professor McGonagall a lot of names that had had Hermione reprimand him for language, Hermione had assumed an expression that suggested that she had expected a lot better from the people in authority, and Harry had had to endure everyone in the class talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do first, once they got into Hogsmeade.

"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes," said Hermione, looking desperately sorry for him.

"Yeah, loads," said Ron, looking at him sadly.

"Don't worry about me," said Harry in what he hoped was an offhand voice. "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time."

He went them to the entrance hall, where Filch was standing near the front doors, checking off names on long list, peering suspiciously into everyone's face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out without a form.

"Staying here, Potter?" shouted Malfoy, who was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle. "Scared of passing any stray Boggarts?"

Harry ignored him and made his way up the marble staircase and up to the owlery, thinking to spend time with Hedwig. When he was passing through one of the corridors, however, he heard a voice from a room off the hall say, "Harry?"

Harry went up to the room to see who had spoken, and saw Professor Lupin.

"What are you doing?" Professor Lupin asked, beckoning him in.

Harry didn't want to be rude, so he followed his professor into what Harry assumed was his office.

"Where are Ron and Hermione?" Professor Lupin said, smiling at him.

"Hogsmeade," said Harry, attempting to use a casual voice.

"Ah," he said. He paused for a moment, seemed to steel himself for something, and said, "I knew your father. I just thought you might want to know."

"What, really! Tell me all about him!" said Harry eagerly, forgetting all about the fact that he wasn't at Hogsmeade with Ron and Hermione.

Over tea, Professor Lupin told him about the Marauders, their friendship, their pranks, and anything related to them. It seemed like he was leaving something, no, some _one_ out, but Harry didn't push the matter.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I should have checked on you, sent a letter, _anything_! Instead, I left you to the mercy of those despicable Dursleys," said Professor Lupin suddenly.

Harry stiffened. He did _not_ want to talk about this, especially with someone who used to be his father's friend. Professor Lupin would say that James would be ashamed to have a son like him, a _freak_ , and he would be right, of course, because he had known his father for almost his whole childhood, plus a few years, and then he would tell Harry that he didn't deserve to have such wonderful parents, because he was a freak, a no good orphan freak —

"Harry, are you alright?"

"Er, yes, Professor, I'm fine, I'm just feeling a bit ill. May I go to the dormitories?" said Harry, feigning a cough. Professor Lupin looked suspicious, but he didn't argue.

"Alright, then. Maybe you should visit Madam Pomfrey, though," said Professor Lupin, giving him a look over.

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks for the tea, and telling me about my dad," said Harry, leaving the room. He went back up to Gryffindor Tower, where Colin Creevey and a few others were sitting at a table.

"Hiya, Harry! Want to come sit with us?" he said, glancing around at his friends. "There's plenty of room!" He knocked a bag off of the chair next to him, which became soaked with ink from shattered jars.

"Er —"

"Oh, Harry, is the Boggart Man real? Who is he?" asked one of the boys sitting with Colin. Colin tried to hush him, but the damage had been done. The tiny part of Harry that was telling him to go sit with Colin and his friends vanished at those words.

"Er, no, I think I'm going to go work on, my, er, Transfiguration homework! Yes, that."

And with that, Harry marched up to the third year boy's dormitory, went in, locked the door, and collapsed on his bed.


	3. In Which Harry Celebrates Halloween

**Thank you, everyone who's reading, following, and favoriting this, and a special shout-out to pottersparky, WizardingWhovian, James Birdsong, futureauthor62, Nigelcat1, Ghostunderasheet, bizybee, and the Guests for reviewing. Taking a break from making Harry miserable, and instead, getting to some main series plot stuff. To make up for you having to read all of the stuff in PoA all over again, I'll try to get the next one up sooner. Disclaimers still apply, R &R, yada yada yada, and enjoy the next chapter!**

 **EDITED 6/20: A few changes in wording, added sentence**

* * *

Previously…

 _[Harry] turned a corner, and found a tiny niche hidden nicely behind a tapestry. He went in, curled up into a ball, and buried his face in his knees, trying desperately not to cry._

 _..._

" _Oh, Harry," said Hermione, and something broke inside Harry. To his embarrassment, he began to cry, the tears flowing thick and fast, and his chest aching._

...

"— _and, wait a second, didn't the Boggart say something about starvation and beatings?" said Ron, he and Hermione pausing to look at him worriedly._

...

" _I'm so sorry, Harry. I should have checked on you, sent a letter, anything! Instead, I left you to the mercy of those despicable Dursleys," said Professor Lupin suddenly._

...

 _And with that, Harry marched up to the third year boy's dormitory, went in, locked the door, and collapsed on his bed._

* * *

Harry was _tired_ of all of the attention he always got. First, it was for being the Boy-Who-Lived, next, it was for losing 150 points in first year, then, in second year, it was for being the supposed 'Heir of Slytherin', and this year, it was because of that stupid Boggart and those stupid Dementors. Why wouldn't people just leave him alone?

He spent the rest of the day in the dorm, occasionally napping, reading, and also doing his Transfiguration homework — he hadn't been lying when he had said he needed to do it.

After a while, he went back down to the common room, and when Ron and Hermione arrived back from Hogsmeade, pink-faced from the cold, they told him excitedly what they had done and dropped a sack-full of treats in front of him.

"The post office, Harry! Around two hundred owls, sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!"

"Honeydukes has got a new kind of fudge; they were giving out free samples, there's a bit there, look —"

"We think we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks —"

"Wish we could have brought you some butterbeer, really warms you up —"

"What did you do?" said Hermione. "Did you get any work done?"

"Yes, actually, my Transfiguration essay," said Harry. (Ron immediately looked concerned for Harry's health, while Hermione looked proud.) "But anyways, Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And, did you know, he used to be friends with my parents? He told me all about them!"

"That's amazing, Harry!" said Hermione, and Ron grinned at him.

"So, what were they like?" asked Ron, sitting down on the couch and pulling Harry and Hermione next to him.

"They sounded amazing. Apparently, Dad was a prankster, rivalling Fred and George even, can you imagine that? And Mum, Lupin said that she used to have a pet cat called Minnie! And —"

Harry told them everything Lupin had told him over the candy, smiling widely the whole time, while his best friends looked happy that their friend was finally learning more about his parents than just, "You look like your father, but with your mother's eyes."

After a few minutes of this, Hermione checked her watch, and exclaimed, "We're going to be late for the feast!"

They hurled themselves out of the portrait hole and down the many staircases, making it to the Great Hall just before the feast was going to start. Harry thought the staff was going all-out this Halloween, as he had seen what looked like the silhouette of a large, dark-colored creature flitting throughout the halls.

However, that was nothing compared to the decorations in the Hall. For the Halloween Feast, it had been decorated with thousands of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of real, live, fluttering bats, and hundreds of orange streamers, almost as bright as Ron's Chudley Cannons memorabilia, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like neon snakes.

Even the food was amazing, so much so that even though he, Ron, and Hermione had eaten through almost half of the Honeydukes candy, they each were still able to have at least seconds. The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They floated through the walls and out of the tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick's reenactment of his own botched beheading was a great success.

It had been such a pleasant evening that Harry's good mood couldn't even be spoiled by Malfoy, who shouted through the crowd as they all left the hall, "The Boggarts send their love, Potter!"

However, not everyone was enjoying themselves as much as he was; Lupin looked abnormally subdued, picking at his food and keeping his head down. Harry resolved to check on him later.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of their house to Gryffindor Tower, but when they reached the corridor that held the Fat Lady's portrait at the end, they found that the other students were clogging up the hall.

"Why isn't anyone going in?" asked Ron curiously, peering over everyone.

Harry looked in between the heads of the other students. The Fat Lady's portrait seemed to be shut, and oddly discolored.

"Let me through, please," said Percy, bustling importantly through the crowd of students. "What's the holdup here? You can't _all_ have forgotten the password — excuse me, I'm Head Boy —"

Suddenly, a deafening silence fell over the crowd, starting from the front, so that a chill seemed to make its down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Someone get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."

"What's going on?" asked Ginny, who had just arrived.

A moment later, Professor Dumbledore arrived, and, as the students parted for him, Harry, Ron (although he didn't have too much trouble in the first place, thanks to his sheer height), and Hermione were able to see what had caused the holdup.

The Fat Lady's portrait was slashed to pieces so violently that ribbons of canvas were scattered all over the floor in front. Luckily, the Fat Lady herself wasn't in it, but all the same, Dumbledore turned to the other teachers — who had arrived moments before — somberly, and said, "We need to find her. Professor McGonagall, kindly find Mr. Filch and request that he search all of the paintings for the Fat Lady."

"You'd be lucky!" said Peeves, zooming in and looking delighted, as always, at the sight of destruction and panic.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" asked Dumbledore calmly, which made Peeves' grin fade a little. Even Peeves didn't dare taunt Dumbledore, so, instead, he adopted an oily sort of voice that made Harry almost wish that he'd start using his usual cackle instead.

"She's humiliated, sir Your Headship sir. Doesn't want to be seen. Saw her running through a landscape on the fourth floor, crying something dreadful," said Peeves gleefully. "Poor thing," he added unconvincingly.

"Did she tell you who did it?" asked Dumbledore quietly.

"Oh, yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of someone cradling an extremely large explosive in their arms, "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."


	4. In Which Gossip Turns Away From Harry

**Since I have a lot to say today, I'll break it up into bullet points:**

 **Sorry, guys, there's a repeat of a bunch of stuff, because, you know, Sirius Black.**

 **I don't own Harry Potter, because otherwise, I would be a millionaire, and be flying around in my own private jet (*cough* It's J.K Rowling's *cough*). I tried my best to edit the sentences I borrowed while keeping the important bits, but it still looks pretty similar to the original. Please don't sue me.**

 **Sorry for the delay in updating. School started back up again, and I barely had time to write for the Quidditch League, never mind my other stories.**

 **Now, onto the story!**

 **EDITED 6/20: A few changes in wording**

* * *

Previously…

 _[Harry] went back down to the common room, and when Ron and Hermione arrived back from Hogsmeade, pink-faced from the cold, they told him excitedly what they had done and dropped a sack-full of treats in front of him._

...

 _Harry told them everything Lupin had told him over the candy, smiling widely the whole time, while his best friends looked happy that their friend was finally learning more about his parents than just, "You look like your father, but with your mother's eyes."_

...

 _They hurled themselves out of the portrait hole and down the many staircases…he had seen what looked like the silhouette of a large, dark-colored creature flitting throughout the halls._

...

 _For the Halloween Feast, [the Great Hall] had been decorated with thousands of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of real, fluttering bats, and hundreds of orange streamers, almost as bright as Ron's Chudley Cannons memorabilia, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like neon snakes._

...

 _The Fat Lady's portrait was slashed to pieces so violently that ribbons of canvas were scattered all over the floor in front..."Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."_

* * *

Harry felt sick. He had _seen_ an odd shadow on his way to the feast, but instead of reporting it, like he should've done, he had just ignored it and assumed it was part of the Halloween decorations. He wanted to kick himself. The shadow had probably been Sirius Black!

Professor Dumbledore sent them to the Great Hall to sleep, conjuring hundreds of squashy, purple sleeping bags and leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge.

As soon as the Professor had left, excited buzzing filled the Great Hall, with the Gryffindors telling all of the other houses how their dorms were broken into by Sirius Black.

"C'mon," Ron said to Harry and Hermione; they grabbed three sleeping bags from the pile and dragged them into a corner.

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Ron.

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione as they climbed, fully dressed, into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the tower…"

"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here."

All around them, everyone was asking, "How did he get in?" Theories were being traded by all houses, ranging from him Apparating into the castle to him sneaking in with a disguise.

"Honestly, am I the only one who's bothered to read _Hogwarts, a History_?" said Hermione exasperatedly.

"Probably," said Ron, and Harry had to cough to hide his snort. "Why?"

"The castle's protected by a lot more than just walls," said Hermione, shaking her head. "There are all sorts of enchantments to prevent people from entering by stealth —"

"But, on our way to the feast, I saw a shadow sneaking through the hallways! I think it was Sirius Black!" interrupted Harry.

"Do you reckon we should tell Dumbledore?" asked Ron, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Of course! If Sirius Black had gotten into the castle on any other day, we would have all been killed!" said Hermione, looking pale.

"Okay, then we'll tell him tomorrow," Harry resolved quickly, and Ron and Hermione nodded.

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted, causing many in the room to jump. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags, and _no more talking!_ "

The candles all went out at once, so that now, the only light came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting around the hall and talking seriously to the prefects, and the ceiling, which was enchanted to look like the night sky. Paired with the whispering that still filled the hall despite Percy's orders, Harry felt as though he were really sleeping under the stars.

Around every hour or so, a Professor would come into the hall, presumably to check if everyone was asleep. At about what Harry guessed was three in the morning (he, Ron, and Hermione had stayed up the whole time and talked whenever Percy was on the other side of the room), Professor Dumbledore came in, looking around, presumably for Percy, who had been doing rounds between the sleeping bags to make sure everyone was asleep.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly pretended to be sleeping as Dumbledore's footsteps came closer. They didn't want to be caught awake right now, even if they did have information that could be useful.

To Percy, who had looked up from checking if someone squirming in their sleeping bag was asleep, Dumbledore explained that there was a new guardian for Gryffindor Tower, and that the Fat Lady was hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor.

Next, Snape came in, and he and Dumbledore talked about the search for Black. Snape told Dumbledore that he had a very strong suspicion as to who helped Black into the castle. Dumbledore, however, easily dismissed these claims, saying he had full trust in everyone inside Hogwarts castle.

* * *

To Harry's morbid relief, gossip turned from his Boggart to how Sirius Black got into the castle. Everyone was too busy talking about the escaped criminal to even think about the Boggart Man. In Ron's words, "It's about bloody time!"

Except, of course, for Draco Malfoy.

"Oi, Potter! Running from your _uncle_ again, I suppose?"

Harry froze.

"No, but I suppose you're running to your daddy. Reckon you can't handle _not_ being the center of attention for once, right, Malfoy?"

And before he could reply, Harry (who had gained the use of his legs back), Ron, and Hermione left.

* * *

"How did Malfoy find out about my Uncle?" whispered Harry, after looking around to make sure nobody was listening.

It was the end of the day, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were talking in a corner of the Common Room that nobody came near often.

"I dunno, mate, but I'll bet your secret will be out by tomorrow morning."

"Wow, Ron, that makes me feel _so_ much better about the whole situation."

"Just stating the facts!"

"Guys, what do we do now?" said Hermione, interrupting their banter. "If your secret gets out, it'll be all over the _Daily Prophet_."

They both sobered.

"Right, but we can't exactly make him forget about what he knows," said Harry.

A lightbulb seemed to have gone off inside Ron's brain.

"Remember when Lockhart tried to wipe our memories down in the Chamber of Secrets? We can use that spell!"

"Which one?" asked Hermione.

"I think it went something like 'Oblifitate', right Ron?" said Harry.

"I think you're talking about 'Obliviate,'" said Hermione, "but we don't have any way to practice it."

"We memorize a random fact, and then someone Obliviates that memory! Nobody will miss it."

"What if we mess up?" asked Hermione.

"All right then, but we can't just let Malfoy tell everyone about Harry's secret!"

They thought for a few moments, then Harry said, "I've got a plan."


	5. In Which We Finally Hear Harry's Plan

**I've updated! A miracle! Ahhh, I'm so sorry, guys for the cliffhanger! I just didn't have any inspiration, and then I had Quidditch League stories to submit! I know that's no excuse, but there you go. Disclaimers from before still apply. Thanks so much for sticking with this story! Oh, and don't worry, the next update will be out soon, for real this time, because I've already got the next few chapters written. Yay!**

 **EDITED 6/20: A few changes in wording**

* * *

Previously…

" _There are all sorts of enchantments to prevent people from entering by stealth —"_

 _..._

" _But, on our way to the feast, I saw a shadow sneaking through the hallways! I think it was Sirius Black!" interrupted Harry._

 _..._

 _To Harry's morbid relief, gossip turned from his Boggart to how Sirius Black got into the castle. Everyone was too busy talking about the escaped criminal to even think about the Boggart Man. In Ron's words, "It's about bloody time!"_

 _..._

" _Oi, Potter! Running from your_ uncle _again, I suppose?" [said Malfoy.]_

 _..._

" _All right then, but we can't just let Malfoy tell everyone about Harry's secret!" [said Ron.]_

 _..._

 _They thought for a few moments, then Harry said, "I've got a plan."_

* * *

"You know how I stayed at Diagon Alley for the summer?" asked Harry. "I was in the bookshop —"

"The bookshop? How could you! I'm hurt," said Ron, earning a smack in the arm from Hermione.

"Continue," she said, nodding at Harry.

Harry was too used to them to be fazed. "— and there was this book, I think it was called _The Magically Memorable Book of Memory Magic —_ hey, they were right! I remembered the whole title! Anyways, I dropped it —"

"Harry!" exclaimed Hermione, earning quite a few stares. "You don't just 'drop' a book! Did you fold any pages? Or wrinkle them? Or —"

"Can you just be quiet, Hermione? Harry's trying to tell us a story," said Ron.

"You weren't saying that five seconds ago," she muttered.

"— and it flipped open to a page about extracting memories. I thought it sounded cool, so I looked at it, and apparently, you can take out your memories and put them in a bottle," Harry finished.

"Won't we just come across the same problem?" asked Hermione, now pointedly ignoring Ron.

"No. And I definitely remember it saying that you can put them back as long as they're not in a Pensieve, whatever that is," said Harry.

"Alright, so, how do we do this?" asked Ron, leaning forward and rubbing his hands together conspiratorially, like the villains in the few TV shows Harry had seen.

"I'm pretty sure all we have to do is think of something and touch our wands to our heads. Then we just pull the wand away, and there'll be a silvery string of stuff on it," explained Harry.

"I'll go first," said Hermione. "I know a lot of things, and I can live with forgetting the name of _one_ famous person from history."

"Wait!" said Harry. He ran up to his dorm, grabbed a few potion vials, and ran back to their corner.

"Right. Anyway, here goes." Hermione pressed her wand against her temple, screwed up her eyes in concentration, and pulled it away again. Her wand had a silvery string of _something_ trailing out the end of it, and she dropped it in a bottle.

"It worked!" said Harry happily.

"Now, just to find a way to extract a memory from Malfoy without him knowing, and to make sure we get _that exact memory_ from his head," said Ron.

"I'm pretty sure you can do it with other people's memories. All we have to do is focus on that bit of information, and it should come out of his head whether he's thinking of it or not," said Harry.

"Well, if we're going to do this, we'll have to go now. There's only two hours left until curfew," said Hermione, glancing at the clock.

"Two hours?" exclaimed Ron.

After working out the final kinks in their plan, Harry disappeared up into the boys' dormitory to grab his cloak, and they were off.

"Ow! Don't step on my foot!"

"Well, _you_ keep bonking your head into mine!"

"Could you two be quiet!"

"It's not like you're innocent; your scrawny elbows keep finding their way into my stomach!"

"Seriously, shut up!" Harry hissed, peering warily around the corner. "It's Snape!"

"Oh Merlin, not _Snape!_ " whispered Ron harshly.

Snape looked up sharply.

"Reveal yourself," he said in a silky voice, "or face harsher still punishment."

They gave each other frantic looks and fled down the other way, only to be faced with Filch.

"Who's out tonight? Sniff, my sweet, find them!"

Harry knew instantly that they were doomed.

"Filch or Snape?" asked Hermione.

"Filch," answered Harry, after a moment of deliberation. "Snape would kill us if he found us; Filch would just give us detention. Though maybe we can still sneak past?"

They went up to Filch, and he didn't notice them as he held up a lamp and tried to find the students out of bed. Mrs. Norris, however, was a different story. Her glowing eyes seemed to bore a hole straight into them.

They tried to duck under Filch's outstretched arm, but Mrs. Norris darted into their path, and they tripped.

Filch glared down at them; the Cloak had fallen off of them. Harry discreetly shoved it into his pocket. "You three! Detention, down here the moment you get leave your last class!"

Harry couldn't care less about the detention; what he did worry about was that they had missed their chance to stop Malfoy.

* * *

When they got down to breakfast, everyone was gossiping eagerly about Harry's Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Harry kept his head down, and only picked at his sausage and eggs.

"Harry? I think you should see this," said Hermione, handing him today's _Daily Prophet_.

 _THE BOY-WHO-LIVED'S RESIDENCE REVEALED_

 _by Andy Smudgley_

 _After a DADA lesson on Boggarts went horribly wrong, the place where Harry Potter has been staying has finally been revealed! A person, who has asked to remain anonymous, has informed the_ Daily Prophet _that the Boy-Who-Lived had been staying with his Muggle aunt, uncle, and cousin, the Dursleys. And what's more, our savior was treated as little more than a house-elf. He is said to cook, clean, and do other chores for his family, and according to our sources, he had slept in a cupboard under the stairs for the first ten years of his life. One wonders how he was allowed to stay there, when there are many witches and wizards who would have gladly taken him in. Us at the_ Daily Prophet _will make sure to get the full story to you soon, our readers._

Harry buried his face in his hands, and Ron patted him on the back.

"Oh God, everyone's going to be insufferable," moaned Harry.

And Harry was right. All day, all everyone did was pester him about the article. He was waylaid multiple times over the course of the day by curious people wanting to get more information, so Ron and Hermione had enlisted the help of Fred and George to keep people away from him. They had given him some Dungbombs and similar objects to toss at his assailants.

By the time Harry, Ron, and Hermione were required to go down to detention, Harry was mentally exhausted. He didn't even register his hands cleaning the trophies in the trophy room by muscle memory.

Once they arrived at the Great Hall, Harry sat down and picked up his fork. That was when the doors crashed open.

* * *

 **Ooh, cliffhanger! Don't worry, you won't have to wait long!**


	6. In Which Harry Meets his Godfather

**Yup, I've updated! *cue gasps of surprise* I know, I know. And fun stuff is happening, so...yeah. Disclaimers still apply, and happy reading!**

 **EDITED 6/20: A few changes in wording**

* * *

Previously…

" _...extracting memories. I thought it sounded cool, so I looked at it, and apparently, you can take out your memories and put them in a bottle..."_

...

" _Now, just to find a way to extract a memory from Malfoy without him knowing, and to make sure we get_ that exact memory _from his head," said Ron._

...

" _...we'll have to go now. There's only two hours left until curfew," said Hermione._

...

 _...they were [caught]. "Filch or Snape?"_

...

 _THE BOY-WHO-LIVED'S RESIDENCE REVEALED_

 _by Andy Smudgley_

...

 _That was when the doors crashed open._

* * *

"Sirius Black!" hissed Hermione, as all of the staff stood up and pointed their wands at him. She, Harry, and Ron exchanged panicked looks, and Harry pulled his wand out from his pocket.

Meanwhile, the rest of the student body was whispering to each other, terrified. They asked each other: "What's _he_ doing here? How did he get in?"

"What do you think gives you the right to barge into Hogwarts, as an escaped convict?" demanded McGonagall.

"I'm innocent — it was the rat — but that doesn't matter right now," said Black, waving the statement away. There were gasps of shock.

 _The rat?_ But this seemed to make sense to Lupin, for he went pale. Lupin seemed to do a bit of quick thinking, and buried his face in his hands.

"What _does_ matter is why my godson was left with those sorry excuses for human beings!" Black's voice had risen over the course of his sentence, and now he was yelling.

"You must understand, Sirius, that they were his only family left —"

Black snorted humorlessly. "Yeah, sure. 'His only family left,' you say. What about Remus?"

More gasps of shock. Lupin looked guilty. Harry felt hope rise in his chest.

"I tried, Sirius, but they wouldn't let me take Harry," said Lupin. Many eyes widened (Harry Potter was the only Harry at school). But that wasn't what bothered him; he wondered why Lupin was so friendly with Voldemort's right hand man. Maybe he was a Voldemort follower too? But then how could he have been friends with Harry's parents, with them being so against the Dark Arts? Or maybe Lupin believed that Black was innocent? But why?

"Not this again!" said Black hotly. "It doesn't matter!"

"Not everyone thinks so, Padfoot," said Lupin quietly. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Fred and George exchange surprised looks.

Black rolled his eyes. "It's been twelve years. I would've thought that at least _something_ would change for the better.

"And speaking of better, there were millions of witches and wizards who would have gladly taken my godson in and treated him right!" said Black, talking (or, more accurately, yelling) once again to Dumbledore. "How could you have left him there! They treat him like scum!"

A peculiar expression washed over McGonagall's face. As she looked at Dumbledore, she seemed to be thinking, _I told you so._

"I have my reasons, Sirius. He is safe there," insisted Dumbledore.

"Safe!" Black looked as though he were trying to explain something exceedingly simple to a two-year old, rather than Albus Dumbledore, supposedly the greatest, wisest, and most powerful wizard since Merlin himself. "Not exactly. Everyone knows where he lives now," said Black.

Dumbledore paused, and Black spoke.

"End of story. I want to hear that my godson has been moved, or I will be committing four of the murders I was arrested for."

And with that, Black turned and stalked out of the Great Hall, and after a brief hesitation, Lupin followed.

* * *

 **And scene! Sorry about the short chapter, but this was the best place to break it up. Did I introduce Sirius and his innocence well? Any thoughts or concrit? R &R!**


	7. In Which Harry is Sort-of Adopted

**Hello! Back again! I know, surprising. Anywho, I told you you'd have a long chapter today! Disclaimers still apply, and enjoy!**

 **EDITED 6/20: A few changes in wording**

* * *

Previously...

" _Sirius Black!" hissed Hermione…_

...

" _...I'm innocent — it was the rat…" [T]his seemed to make sense to Lupin…_

...

 _...said Black...to Dumbledore. "How could you have left him there! They treat him like scum!"_

...

" _End of story..." And with that, Black turned and stalked out of the Great Hall, and after a brief hesitation, Lupin followed._

* * *

As shocked muttering began to fill the Great Hall, Harry turned to Ron and Hermione.

"I'm going to follow them," said Harry.

"What? Are you insane?" exclaimed Hermione. "That's Sirius Black!"

"Yeah, mate. Do you have a death wish? Remember the Grim?" said Ron.

"Not the Grim again! Although, I agree with the general idea of what Ron was trying to say," said Hermione.

"But Black said he's my godfather. If he's really innocent, I can maybe visit him for the a bit of the summer and break," said Harry softly.

Their resolve seemed to soften.

"Oh, all right, but we're coming with you," said Hermione, and she and Ron stood up. Harry gave them a thankful smile, and they followed Lupin and Black out to the entrance hall.

"Peter was a rat," Black was saying, "in more ways than one."

"Don't tell me —" started Lupin quietly.

"We switched," said Black, and a tear rolled down his cheek. "I thought I was too obvious, so we changed to Peter."

"Was it you who killed the Muggles, or was it him?" asked Lupin.

"I tracked him down after I found them dead, because I wasn't allowed to have Harry. I should have fought for him harder. It's all my fault." He shook his head. "Before I could say anything, he yelled, 'James and Lily, Sirius! How could you?' before blowing up the street, cutting off his own finger, and escaping into the sewers. "

Harry saw Ron stick his hand into his pocket, and find Scabbers squeaking frantically and trying to escape. Ron took his rat out.

Black's gaze snapped to them. "Give me that rat."

Ron's eyes widened in fear. "Here," he said, his voice an octave higher than normal.

Black grabbed the struggling rat and showed it to Lupin.

"Would you like to do the honors with me?" asked Black. Lupin nodded, and together, they sent a jet of blue light towards Scabbers.

Scabbers seemed to grow like a tree, but in fast-forward. Its body stretched upwards; its limbs grew longer and sprouted hands and feet; a head shot out; the next thing Harry knew, a grown man was standing where Scabbers had been.

"He was an Animagus!" whispered Hermione in shock. Ron looked like he was going to be sick. Harry couldn't blame him; he wouldn't have been happy to find out that he had let a pathetic-looking grown man into his bed.

"Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. "Long time, no see."*

"Sirius, Remus," said Pettigrew, wringing his hands.

Black snarled and pointed his wand — _Where had he gotten that from?_ — at Pettigrew. "I ought to kill you where you stand..."

"No, Padfoot!" said Lupin, wrenching Black's arm down. "We need him alive, or he won't be able to testify."

"Wait, what? Testify what?" interrupted Ron, but then he swallowed as Lupin's and Black's gazes fell on him.

"I'll tell you later," said Black, not taking his eyes off of Pettigrew.

Lupin, however, said, "You owe these children an explanation! Pettigrew was Ron's pet for the last three years! And Harry! He doesn't know the whole story!"

"Oh, all right," said Black, stunning Pettigrew and tying him up with ropes, "but I'll make it fast."

He coughed, and began to speak. "So, when I came to Hogwarts, I met Remus here, your dad, Harry, and the _rat_ " — he snarled the name — "and we became close friends. Then, we discovered that Remus had — er, a furry little problem," — Hermione adopted a triumphant look, similar to the kind she wore when she knew the answer to a particularly difficult question — "so we became Animagi for him. Peter, of course, was a rat. Should have seen the betrayal coming, honestly," he muttered to himself.

"Then, during the war, the Potters went into hiding. I was supposed to be their Secret-Keeper — we basically hid the location of the Potter home inside of a person; Voldemort could have never found them — but at the last second, we switched to the rat. He went scurrying straight to Voldemort" — Ron and Hermione flinched slightly — "and told him where your parents were, enabling him to kill them." Harry suddenly felt a deep, burning fury at the man that lay unconscious at their feet, one unlike he had ever felt before. He could have had his _parents!_ Harry glared at Pettigrew as Black continued, "So, of course, I tracked him down. Before I could say anything, he yelled, 'James and Lily, Sirius! How could you!' before blowing up the street and escaping into the sewers."

Harry blinked. How could everyone have missed this! Could such a fantastical tale really be true? But Pettigrew was lying at his feet, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione weren't dead yet. And besides, Harry couldn't quite say this tale was _fantastical_ , seeing as he was living at a magical school where people rode on broomsticks for sport, made things fly (including cars) with a simple swish and flick of a stick of wood, and creatures like Hippogriffs and dragons existed.

"Er, okay, then," said Harry, utterly shocked. "What now?"

"Well, we can start by bringing Pettigrew to the Ministry," said Lupin briskly, directing the stunned Pettigrew back into the Great Hall and up to the staff table.

"Professor Dumbledore?" After explaining Black's innocence, Lupin dropped Pettigrew on the table and squashed a dish of ham. "Could you send word to the Ministry to take him?"

Professor Dumbledore, looking completely unperturbed at the fact that a pair of feet had landed in his mashed potatoes, said, "Of course."

Fawkes the phoenix appeared, and Dumbledore said to it, "Please inform the DMLE that Peter Pettigrew is at Hogwarts, ready to be picked up." Fawkes nodded, and disappeared in a whirl of flame. Dumbledore gave them final nod before leaving.

"So…" said Black, swinging his arms awkwardly. Lupin smiled at him encouragingly. All of the students and professors had gone back to their dorms, so he, Lupin, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the only ones left. "Harry, as I said earlier, I'm your godfather."

"And?" said Harry, his heart pounding faster. Ron and Hermione were studying Black apprehensively.

"I was wondering if you would want to come live with me?"

A grin split Harry's face.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really!" Black said. Ron and Hermione backed out of the room, understanding that this was a private moment for Harry. "Well, first I have to have my trial, and then we can get a house. Right, Moony?"

"Why are you asking me, Sirius?" said Lupin.

"Well, of course you're going to stay with us!" said Black.

"No, I can't intrude —"

"Exactly. You're part of our family! You wouldn't be intruding!"

"But what if Harry doesn't —"

"I don't mind!" said Harry quickly. "You did tell me you were Dad's best friend. And you're the best Defense professor we've ever had!"

Black paused. "Oh, yeah! You're a professor now! Never thought I'd see the day that a Marauder became a teacher. Please tell me you're not boring, at least; I wouldn't be able to bear it if you discouraged Marauding!" He grinned. Harry wondered what a Marauder was, but didn't feel he had the right to ask yet.

Lupin gave Black a smile. "I don't like to think of myself as boring, and I'm pretty sure there are some who can testify. And anyways, you're back; my life can't be boring with you in it." Both men's eyes suddenly became oddly bright.

Harry, thinking that maybe his godfather and professor would like some time alone (Harry knew he would feel the same if he was separated from Ron or Hermione for twelve years and suddenly reunited with them), left the Great Hall and went back up to the Gryffindor common room.

As soon as he entered, however, he was immediately swarmed by everyone asking him about what happened.

"Sirius Black's your godfather?"

"How does Professor Lupin know him?"

"Why did you follow them?"

"How are you _alive?_ "

"Sirius Black and Professor Lupin are Padfoot and Moony?"

The last question came from Fred and George, who looked like they were in shock.

"Yeah," said Harry. "They called themselves 'Marauders', whatever those are —"

Fred and George gave offended gasps.

"'Whatever those are'?" said Fred, indignant. "They're the greatest pranksters to ever walk the earth!"

"They've been our role models since first year!" George agreed.

"Professor Lupin?" Hermione said. She seemed to have taken it a personal offense that one of her favorite professors had been among the likes of Fred and George in his youth. " _He_ was a prankster? You're sure?"

"If he _is_ called Moony, then he's the very best. And him and the rest of the Marauders were geniuses," said George. "We can prove it. Follow us."

After picking up Lee Jordan, who was distributing Butterbeer and Firewhiskey, Harry, Ron, and Hermione struggled their way through the crowd (everyone was still awake and eagerly swapping rumors) behind Fred and George.

The twins and Lee led them up to the fifth-year boys' dormitory, where Fred grabbed a sheet of old parchment.

"How does _this_ prove that Professor Lupin and his friends were geniuses?" said Hermione skeptically.

"You'll see," said Fred mysteriously.

George placed the tip of his wand onto the parchment, and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."**

Starting from the point where George's wand touched the parchment, ink began to blossom all over it, as though an invisible hand were drawing various lines and shapes; at the top, curly green letters formed the words:

Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers

are proud to present

THE MARAUDER'S MAP

It was a map of Hogwarts; and what's more, there were tiny black dots, labeled with the names of people walking around.

Even Hermione had to admit the coolness of a map with everyone on it at all times of the day. "The spellwork is quite impressive; it looks very complicated," said Hermione grudgingly, studying the map closely.

"Wicked," said Ron. "Why didn't you show me this before! I'm your brother!"

"Precisely," said Fred and George simultaneously. Ron scowled.

"This has been the secret to our success," said Lee, touching the parchment reverently. "We'd be nowhere near as skilled at pranking without this little beauty."

"So Black and Professor Lupin _did_ really make this…" said Hermione. She seemed to be in shock. "I think I'll turn in for the night." And with that, she walked out the door and disappeared down the staircase. Harry and Ron followed her, but as Harry was quickly surrounded on all sides by a mob of Gryffindors, he and Ron decided to go back to the dormitories and go to bed.

As Harry lay underneath his bedcovers, the last thought he had was that he was finally getting away from the Dursleys forever.

* * *

 **What do you think? Is the story getting better or worse? R &R!**

 ***Taken directly from PoA. I thought it was too funny to leave out.**

 ****I've been waiting to type that :D**


	8. In Which Harry Talks to his Godfather

**Merry (admittedly late) Christmas, and a happy New Year, guys! Sorry for the delay! I was on vacation (fangirling at Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade in Universal), so I couldn't update, and then I had a small bout of writer's block. At least there wasn't a cliffhanger, right? Anyway, enjoy your next chapter! (Disclaimers still apply.)**

 **EDITED 6/20: A few changes in wording, a few added sentences**

* * *

Previously...

" _Peter was a rat," Black was saying, "in more ways than one."_

...

" _What now?" [said Harry.] "Well, we can start by bringing Pettigrew to the Ministry," said Lupin…_

...

" _I was wondering if you would want to come live with me?" [said Black.]_

 _..._

" _Sirius Black and Professor Lupin are Padfoot and Moony?" [said Fred and George.] "Yeah," said Harry…. "...the Marauders were geniuses," said George. "We can prove it."_

...

 _Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs_

 _Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

 _are proud to present_

 _THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

...

 _As Harry lay underneath his bedcovers, the last thought he had was that he was finally getting away from the Dursleys forever._

* * *

Harry awoke early that morning. At first, he couldn't remember why he had such a strong feeling of joy, but then the events of the previous night flooded back and he grinned.

He, Ron, and Hermione went down to breakfast and sat down at the Gryffindor table. All of the Houses were excitedly chatting about the events of the previous night, and occasionally staring at the staff table. Harry followed their gazes, and saw Sirius and Lupin sitting together with the teachers and laughing.

Then, Seamus shoved today's _Daily Prophet_ at him, telling him to "Read it! It's nuts!"

 _SIRIUS BLACK, UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED?_

 _By Betty Braithwaite_

 _We all know about Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban. We know how he got there: On November 1st — the day after You-Know-Who was defeated — he murdered thirteen Muggles and one wizard, Peter Pettigrew, by blowing up the street; all that was left of Pettigrew was a single finger. He was also rumored to have been You-Know-Who's right-hand man — his supposed master's death was suspected to be the motive for the attack. But is this the true story? New evidence has recently come to light that Pettigrew was the Death Eater, and the one to have blown up the street and kill the Muggles. But how did he escape, you might ask? Pettigrew was an illegal Animagus, and after blowing up the street, he escaped by turning into a rat and scurrying down into the sewers. He even cut off his own finger for show. After Ministry officials caught wind of the story, Black's and Pettigrew's wands were inspected, and this story has been backed up; Pettigrew's wand had indeed fired the Blasting Curse that had blown up the street. This raises many questions..._

But Harry didn't need to read more. Grinning widely, Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who had been reading the article over his shoulder.

"Do you know what this means?" Harry said, feeling like a happy balloon was growing in his chest. Before his friends could answer, he said, "Sirius will be free! And then I can go live with him!"

"Yeah, if Mum can stop squeezing you long enough for you to go," said Ron with a chuckle.

"What?" asked Harry.

"Last summer, Mum asked Dumbledore if you could stay at our place — y'know, because we told her about the bars on the window and all," said Ron, and Harry felt a surge of affection for Mrs. Weasley.

"That's sweet," said Hermione. "She really does think of you as one of her children, Harry."

"Yeah. She'll want to meet Black," Ron continued. "Especially since the Prophet article yesterday — if she sees any signs of mistreatment from Black on you, Harry, Mum'll murder him, escaped criminal or no."

"I don't think there will be," said Hermione. "He did barge straight into Hogwarts, as a wanted man, because of a rumor about your relatives. It was a true rumor, but a rumor nonetheless."

"He does seem really nice, doesn't he?" said Harry, looking once again at the staff table. Lupin was saying something, and then Sirius burst into laughter, and then Lupin emptied his glass of pumpkin juice onto Sirius' head, causing Sirius to retaliate in kind.

"I think they'll be good for you," said Hermione, noticing his look. "You could use a proper family, one that you can call your own."

Over the rest of the day, Harry found himself thinking what it would be like to have a true family. When he was little, he had always fantasized about what would happen if an unknown relative would come and take him away. He'd not have to do so many chores, and he could have as much food as — well, not _quite_ as much as Dudley, but he wouldn't be hungry as much. Harry would be able to go on family trips, and have things of his own that weren't broken or second-hand, and not be bullied by his cousin.

Now, he could finally have a normal home life, one like Hermione's and Ron's, and he could live every day without wondering if his guardians would finally snap and kick him out forever.

Later that evening, as Harry was finishing up his dinner, Sirius came over, attracting many stares. "Hey," Sirius whispered. "If you ever wanted to pop by, say hello, I'm sharing quarters with Remus. They're trying to find an old teacher's quarters that nobody's been using, but Remus says he doesn't mind sharing."

"I — alright," said Harry, and Sirius left and went back to the staff table.

"Do you think I should?" said Harry, eyes wide, turning to his best friends.

"Of course you should!" said Hermione fervently, spinning around. "You're going to be living with him soon! You'll see him every day! How would that work out without you even being comfortable just visiting him?"

"Okay, okay, Hermione. I think he gets it," said Ron, looking like he was trying not to laugh at the slightly terrified expression on Harry's face.

"Yeah, I think what you're saying is that you want me to go see Sirius?" said Harry with a grin, laughing outright when Hermione punched him lightly in the arm.

"Git," said Hermione, shoving him towards the door. "Now go!"

"Okay, okay!" said Harry, putting his arms up in surrender and backing towards the exit. "I'm going!"

Harry retraced his steps from Halloween, and found himself at Lupin's — _Remus'_ , because after all, he was going to be Harry's second guardian — office. He knocked.

"Hello?" Harry asked. The door opened, and Harry was faced with a Lupi— Remus that looked much happier than he had ever seen him.

"Come in!" said Lu— Remus, stepping aside. Remus lead Harry to a door in the back of the office, behind his desk. The door lead to a warm living room, with a kitchenette at one wall, and across the room, there was a final door, which Harry guessed lead to a bedroom.

"Sirius!" Remus called toward the room. Sirius came out, looking like he had just stepped out of the shower.

"Wha— oh, hey, Harry!" said Sirius, grinning.

Harry smiled back. "Hey," he said, a sudden fit of nervousness coming over him. Sirius had most likely only made the offer to let Harry stay with him because he had been named godfather. He didn't even know Harry, so what if he suddenly decided that Harry was a useless little brat that he couldn't be bothered to take care of?

"So," said Harry, inwardly kicking himself for sounding so awkward. Of all the things to say, he had decided on 'so'? What kind of first impression was that?

"Er — do you like Quidditch?" said Sirius finally. Remus gave a reminiscent smile.

"Yeah!" said Harry, trying not to let the relief show on his face. At least now they had something to talk about.

"Do you play?" asked Sirius.

"'Does he play?' he asks," said Remus, snorting. "'Does he play?' Yes, he bl— most _definitely_ plays. He was made Seeker in his first year!"

"Wow, kid! Impressive!" said Sirius. Harry felt something warm in his chest from the praise, and he smiled slightly.

"It wasn't anything special," Harry said modestly. "I just did what anyone else would have done in that situation. Malfoy had Neville's Remembrall, and I couldn't just let him take it."

"Even better," said Sirius, making the warm feeling grow stronger. "You did it for a friend. And besides," he added, "you were the only one to help him out. So not exactly 'what anyone else would have done'. You're a good kid."

Over the next hour, Harry and Sirius talked about school, Quidditch, and Sirius told Harry some funny stories from his time at school, until Remus popped in from the bedroom to tell them that it was almost curfew.

When Harry got back to the Gryffindor common room, he made a beeline to the armchairs where Ron and Hermione sat, doing homework (or more accurately, Hermione trying to convince Ron to do his homework).

"So?" said Hermione, looking at him expectantly.

"You were right," said Harry, and Hermione looked slightly triumphant. "It was fun, talking to him."

"What did you talk about?" asked Ron.

"Mostly Quidditch," said Harry. Hermione rolled her eyes, and muttered, "Of course."

"What team does he support?" asked Ron, but Hermione interrupted him.

"So everything went well? You're comfortable with him as your guardian?"

"Yes, Hermione! Oh, and Sirius supports the Cannons too," said Harry. Ron's face lit up, until Harry finished, trying to stifle laughter. "He says that if you can't be the best of the best, might as well be the worst of the worst."

* * *

 **So? Was it worth the wait? And by the way, I'm celebrating 50 pages of this story! That averages to 6 and a quarter pages per chapter! Yay! Read and review!**


	9. In Which Harry Admits the Truth

**...Hi? *winces after realizing that last update was about seven months ago* Hehehe...well, I'm back now. I needed to figure out where the story was going, and also figure out where I'm at now (I skipped random pieces of time everywhere, so I got a bit confused). And while I was doing that, real life hit me with a spelling bee, a science fair, a gigantic history project, and final exams. Sorry! Now that I've got everything figured out, you (hopefully) won't have another wait like that again. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **P.S: I edited all of the previous chapters. You don't really need to go back and read them, but re-reading my story, there were a few parts I wasn't happy with.**

 **P.P.S: I just realized now that I hadn't done any background research on the effects of child neglect before starting this fic. From this chapter onwards, I will be basing Harry's experiences on real research, but for previous chapters and anything that has already been established, please forgive any inaccuracies.**

 **(And sorry for the long A/N!)**

* * *

Previously…

 _SIRIUS BLACK, UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED_?

By Betty Braithwaite

 _..._

" _[Sirius] does seem really nice, doesn't he?" said Harry, looking once again at the staff table. Lupin was saying something, and then Sirius burst into laughter, and then Lupin emptied his glass of pumpkin juice onto Sirius' head, causing Sirius to retaliate in kind._

...

" _Hey," Sirius whispered. "If you ever wanted to pop by, say hello, I'm sharing quarters with Remus. They're trying to find an old teacher's quarters that nobody's been using, but Remus says he doesn't mind sharing."_

...

" _Come in!" said [Remus], stepping aside. Remus lead Harry to a door in the back of the office, behind his desk. The door lead to a warm living room, with a kitchenette at one wall, and across the room, there was a final door, which Harry guessed lead to a bedroom._

...

" _...hey, Harry!" said Sirius, grinning. "Hey," [Harry] said, a sudden fit of nervousness coming over him. Sirius had most likely only made the offer to let Harry stay with him because he had been named godfather. Sirius didn't even know him, so what if he suddenly decided that Harry was a useless little brat that he couldn't be bothered to take care of?_

...

" _...He was made Seeker in his first year!" [said Remus.] "Wow, kid! Impressive!" said Sirius. Harry felt something warm in his chest from the praise, and he smiled slightly._

...

" _So?" said Hermione, looking at him expectantly. "You were right," said Harry. "It was fun, talking to him."_

* * *

The next day, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed to the Great Hall for breakfast, a group of younger Ravenclaws called out to him, "Oi, Potter!"

Harry turned. Maybe it was an innocent question…?

"When are you going to give us the full story of your aunt and uncle? How was life there? Did you really have to cook and clean for them?"

Well, that delusion had been shot down quickly.

"When was the last time you wet yourself?" Ron shot back. "What's your underwear size? Who do you fancy?"

"Why should we answer those questions?" said a particularly brave (or particularly stupid) boy in the front.

"Why should Harry answer _you_?" said Ron menacingly. "Now get lost."

The boy in the front huffed, and he and the rest of his gang stalked off.

As Harry, Ron, and Hermione continued their journey toward breakfast, Hermione seemed to steel herself for something. Finally, she spoke.

"HarryIthinkyouneedtotellusaboutyourtimeattheDursleys'."

"Er, what?" said Harry, slightly amused. "Slow down a bit, would you?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "Harry," she said, enunciating clearly, "I think you need to tell us about your time at the Dursleys."

Harry froze. "Sorry?"

"What I said, Harry," said Hermione, looking apologetic. "I really am sorry, but you need to tell someone. You can't keep it bottled up to yourself like this."

"I've been fine for twelve years," Harry said coolly, looking straight ahead.

Ron's gaze bounced between them like a ping-pong ball. He looked unsure whether to intervene or not.

"And look where that's gotten you!" Hermione exclaimed, a slight note of begging in her voice. "The moment someone else knows, you get panic attacks at every mention of them! This can't be healthy! We can't help you if we don't know what's wrong!"

"I'm _fine_ , Hermione," said Harry, anger lacing his tone. "Drop it."

He sped ahead of them, already feeling guilty. He was afraid to turn back and see Ron's and Hermione's expressions. Ron hadn't even done anything.

But it wasn't his fault! It was _theirs_ , for trying to get him to talk! Hadn't he made it clear that he had zero intention of doing so? They had even helped him avoid those curious onlookers! It turned out, however, they were one of those, too. Hermione seemed to feel it was perfectly fine for her to interrogate him whenever she wished, and Ron didn't feel the urge to stop her.

Harry dropped himself into his seat with a huff. Scowling, he began to eat, chancing glaces at the Great Hall entrance every few seconds. His generally unpleasant demeanour seemed to repel everyone away; nobody wanted to deal with an angry Boy-Who-Lived.

Well, other than the Weasley Twins. Of course.

"Why, Harry," said Fred brightly, dropping in the seat next to him, "you certainly seem chipper."

"That is, if you squint really hard and use your imagination," said George, settling himself on his other side. "And where's Ickle Ronniekins and the ever rule-abiding Hermione? I don't think I've seen you three apart in years."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Shove off, will you?"

"Ouch, mate," said Fred, putting on a mock-hurt expression. "And I was under the impression that you liked us!"

"Leave Harry alone," snapped Ron. It seemed he and Hermione had arrived while Harry was distracted, effectively ruining his plan of leaving once they arrived. "Go bother someone else."

"No need to be so defensive," said George, raising his hands in surrender. "We just noticed Harry's foul mood."

"Any idea why he's like this?" said Fred, leaning back in his seat to look intensely at Ron.

"Just. Go. Away," Ron said, his annoyance making itself clear on his face. " _Please_."

"Well, all you had to do was ask," said Fred cheerfully. Together, they walked off in the direction of Lee Jordan and began to whisper. The moment the twins left, Ron took the seat that Fred had vacated, and Hermione sat herself down across from them.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked Harry, looking concerned.

"I'm fine," said Harry, his resentment toward them dissolving instantly. "Sorry about that."

"I'm sorry too, for springing it on you like that," said Hermione, looking slightly guilty. "But I stand by what I said. I really think you need to tell someone. Even if it's not us. Maybe Sirius or Professor Lupin or Mrs. Weasley..."

"I suppose if I have to talk to someone, it might as well be you guys," said Harry reluctantly. He did not want to say a word about any of this to the closest things he had to parents. "But…" He hesitated. "Could you give me a bit to get myself ready?"

"Of course," said Hermione, her expression softening. "What about we talk at the end of the day? Is that fine with you?"

"Sure," said Harry, biting his lip.

Ron briefly squeezed his arm, grinning, then he and Hermione began to eat. Conversation turned to Gryffindor's standing in the Quidditch Cup, but Harry was too distracted to participate.

He wasn't ready. He would never be ready. How could he talk about this, when the thing he had been taught for his whole life was to never say a word? How was he supposed to put his experiences into words — the lonely nights spent in the cupboard wishing that someone would take him away, the hours upon hours doing chores much too hazardous for his age level, the jealousy when seeing how much Dudley was loved? He couldn't do it.

But he had to try. For his best friends, he told himself.

* * *

The day passed by in a haze. What would he say? How would he say it? Could he even do this?

Too soon, the final class was over, night had fallen, and many students had already gone up to bed. It was time.

"Harry?" said Hermione gently, once they were nearly alone in the Common Room. She pointed to the most secluded set of chairs in the room. "What about we sit over there?"

"Alright," Harry said quietly, steeling himself. He could do this. Right?

The three of them moved to the cushy armchairs near the window, far from the central couches and fire. Ron lowered the window, and Harry realized that he had goosebumps from the breeze.

"Er," said Harry hesitantly. Ron and Hermione looked at him with expectant faces. "Where to start…

"I suppose it all began when I was sent to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house when I was one. They always said that they were dumped on my doorstep with only a basket, a blanket, and a note. Still got the blanket in my trunk," Harry said, a wry smile on his face. "Anyways, I guess they were resentful that I intruded on their perfect little _normal_ family. So they took out their frustrations on me.

"It really wasn't so bad. Honest," Harry added, at Ron and Hermione's disbelieving looks. "They usually just left me at home whenever they went out. Probably the worst of it was doing lots of chores and missing a bunch of meals."

"You missed meals?!" Hermione shrieked loudly. Heads turned to stare at her.

"I know, right?" Ron said hastily, just loud enough to be overheard, but not loud enough that it seemed to be on purpose. "I can't believe it either; you know me, I never do that. I really shouldn't have skipped. I'm bloody _starving_ now."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as his classmates averted their gazes and went back to their casual conversations. "Thanks, Ron."

"Anytime, Harry," he said, smiling slightly. "You were saying?"

"Er, yeah," said Harry, nervous again. He had lost his stride. What to say next…?

"They told me that the chores were to earn my keep," Harry said finally. "Since they had to take care of another kid, they figured they might as well get something out of it. Said that I needed to earn my place in their home. So I did most of the cooking and cleaning and general housekeeping."

"'Earn your keep'?" Hermione repeated, hands over her mouth in horror. "Harry, you know that a child should never need to work to have a home, right?"

"Er, of course," said Harry, startled at Hermione's teariness. Slightly bitterly, he added, "Dudley never needed to do a thing to be treated like a prince."

"That has to be all, right?" said Hermione, a note of pleading in her tone. "Even the Dursleys can't be any more horrible."

"But don't lie if there is anything else," Ron added quickly. "I know your relatives hated magic…"

"Well, they called me a 'freak' all the time," said Harry, wincing as the word left his mouth. This didn't go unnoticed by Ron and Hermione. "They said that any magic was bad. Dudley wasn't allowed watch any television shows that could 'infect' him with unnaturalness, and Aunt Petunia never read him any fairy tales, especially ones about witches and wizards.

"I didn't know anything about my 'freakish' parents. One of the number one rules for me was 'Don't ask questions', else I'd get locked in my cupboard. I was told that my Mum and Dad died in a car crash because my Dad was drunk driving…"

"Oh, that's horrible, Harry," said Hermione quietly.

"Did you say _cupboard?_ " said Ron, looking alarmed.

Harry cringed. "Er...yes."

"What were you doing in a cupboard?" he asked, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Er…" Harry tried to stall. He glanced at the clock, his eyes widening. "Oh, look, it's really late! We don't want to be tired for Potions!"

"Nice try, Harry," said Hermione, grabbing Harry's sleeve. "This is more important than classes."

"Things more important than classes?" Harry joked weakly. "Who are you, and what have you done with Hermione Granger?"

"Harry," said Hermione warningly.

"Okay, sorry," he said, defeated. He lowered himself into the seat, his muscles still tense. "Okay. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't want to waste a room on me, so I got stuck with the cupboard under the stairs, while Dudley got two bedrooms. They only gave me a real bedroom my Hogwarts letter was addressed to 'The Cupboard Under the Stairs'. Happy?"

"Oh, Harry," said Hermione, looking despairing. "Not at all."

Harry rested his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his hands. "That's pretty much the overview of my childhood. I've really got nothing else to say."

"I'm going to murder those bloody Dursleys," Ron said fiercely. "Those bloody bars on the window, those stupid cat flaps…"

"You can't," Harry said in a monotone. "Dumbledore said living with them gives me a kind of protection."

"Who cares about the protection!" Ron exclaimed. "The Burrow has perfectly good wards, and Sirius can probably do well too! There's no need to put you through that!"

"I would have died in first year without the protection," Harry explained. "Quirrell couldn't touch me without getting burned."

"We have to be able to do something," said Hermione desperately. "Have you tried Muggle Social Services?"

"My Year 1 teacher got fired when I told her," Harry said, avoiding their eyes. He watched some sort of insect on the outside of the window. "There really is nothing I can do about them until either Sirius is declared innocent or Mrs. Weasley is allowed to have me."

There was a heavy silence.

"I think we should go to bed," Hermione said finally. "Things might look better in the morning."

So Harry and Ron went up to the boys dormitory, Harry falling asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

* * *

The next morning, there was a buzzing throughout the Great Hall. To his horror, Harry heard words like "cupboard" and "freak".

"You didn't tell anyone!" Harry hissed at Ron and Hermione.

"Of course not!" Hermione said, looking startled. "We would never…"

"You might want to see this," said Dean Thomas, handing over a _Daily Prophet_.

Harry took the paper, and he froze when he saw the front page.

 _HARRY POTTER'S FULL CHILDHOOD REVEALED!_

 _by Rita Skeeter_

* * *

 **Sorry for the cliffhanger! But it won't be long until the next chapter's out; it's already written. I hope this chapter was worth the wait! R &R, please!**


	10. In Which Harry Hears Hermione's Plan

**Oh my God. I am absolutely** _ **floored**_ **by the reception the latest chapter had (1.33K views in one day!). I couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day. I cannot thank you all enough for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing. You guys are amazing!**

 **And sorry for how long this took to get out. I know that last time I said I had it all written, but then I decided that it wasn't good enough, so I went back and re-wrote the whole thing. So this isn't very long, but I just can't seem to get past the point this chapter ends at. I thought you guys deserved at least** _ **something**_ **. I hope you like this chapter anyway.**

 **Now, enjoy!**

 **EDIT, ABOUT 2 HRS AFTER POSTING: I'm having a total freakout here. When I posted, there were 28 views. Now, there are 591 views, and still counting. I can't believe it! You guys are all insanely awesome!**

* * *

Previously…

 _Hermione took a deep breath. "Harry," she said, enunciating clearly, "I think you need to tell us about your time at the Dursleys."_

...

" _I suppose if I have to talk to someone, it might as well be you guys," said Harry reluctantly… "Could you give me a bit to get myself ready?" "Of course," said Hermione, her expression softening. [But] [h]e would never be ready._

...

" _...I guess they were resentful that I intruded on their perfect little normal family." [said Harry.] "...[T]he worst of it was doing...chores and missing...meals... [T]hey called me a 'freak' all the time… I got stuck with the cupboard under the stairs."_

...

HARRY POTTER'S FULL CHILDHOOD REVEALED!

by Rita Skeeter

* * *

"This can't be happening…" Harry said faintly. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the article.

 _HARRY POTTER'S FULL CHILDHOOD REVEALED!_

 _by Rita Skeeter_

 _Hello, dear readers. Rita Skeeter, from the_ Daily Prophet _, has finally uncovered the full story of Harry Potter. Get ready, because it's a shocker…_

 _Harry Potter was given to his Aunt and Uncle at one year old, after defeating He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Left at night with only a basket, a blanket, and a note, one must wonder at the irresponsibility at the one who left him there. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley were angry that Mr. Potter was left with their family, as they had no choice but to take him in. They decided to keep Mr. Potter downtrodden in an attempt to "squash his magic" out. His bedroom, until just before his first year, had been a cupboard under the stairs. He was made to do strenuous housework from a very young age, such as cooking, cleaning, cutting the lawn with a Muggle "lawnmower," and other such tasks. Whenever the Dursleys went on trips, Mr. Potter was left home alone, even as an infant._

 _Mr. Potter knew nothing about the magical world at all; anything remotely magical, which they called "freakish," was prohibited in the Dursley household. They were not even allowed to read any Muggle stories having to do with magic._

 _When you add up all of these crimes, one question comes to mind: Who left the Boy-Who-Lived at this despicable home? Why, when there were so many who would have gladly taken him in? And how did we allow our savior to stay here?_

 _We at the_ Daily Prophet _will make sure to find out._

Below the article, there was another notice:

 _NEXT WEEK: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE DURSLEY FAMILY_ — _TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY?_

Harry put down the paper and glared at Ron and Hermione. Anger pulsed through him, which he welcomed. It was an emotion that pierced through the numbness. "I _trusted_ you!"

"We didn't breathe a word, we swear!" Ron exclaimed. "We would _never_!"

"We're on your side," said Hermione gently. "Remember in First Year, with the Philosopher's Stone?"

"But — but —!"

Harry deflated, the numb returning. He simply didn't have the will to argue anymore.

"All right," he said finally, slumping in his seat. "But how did this" — he glanced down at the paper — "this Rita Skeeter find out about...it?"

Thoughtfully, Hermione said, "Does the Wizarding World have any forms of bugging?"

"What do insects have to do with any of this?" said Ron curiously.

"Not _that_ kind of bugging," said Hermione, rolling her eyes. Then her eyes widened. "Wait — I think I read something — I need to go!"

And with that, she dashed out the door, likely heading to the library.

"Let us know when you feel like sharing!" Ron called after her.

The whole day was torture, in Harry's opinion. At every turn, Harry encountered pitying stares — from his classmates, from his teachers, the ghosts, everyone.

Professor McGonagall had an expression akin to guilt on her face during Transfiguration. Hagrid had burst into tears and crushed Harry into a hug as soon as he had entered Care of Magical Creatures. Even Snape didn't insult him quite so often during Potions class, with a peculiar expression Harry couldn't place. Remus had given him a whole bar of chocolate and told him the password for his quarters.

And Sirius? Sirius had looked torn between murdering the Dursleys and locking Harry in his room with him so he could keep an eye on him at all times.

It was absolutely horrible. To be perfectly honest, Harry would have _almost_ prefered someone to make fun of him or something, rather than endure the looks of pity. He went through his classes in a daze, not quite able to register that his best-kept secret was now out for the world to see.

Finally, after what had seemed like weeks rather than hours, the day was over. Harry had been planning on immediately retreating to his dorm and not coming out for the rest of the day (or month), but Hermione had other plans.

"Okay," she said briskly, dragging Harry and Ron towards the library, "so at the beginning of the year, Professor McGonagall covered Animagus transformations, right? So I looked them up, and I think that Skeeter could be an Animagus! I mean, of course, she isn't on the register, but of course she could do it illegally, there are ways to get your hands on instructions without going through the Ministry first. Turning into a tiny insect or something of the sort would be perfect for journalism, because you could overhear all sorts of things that people wouldn't normally tell the press. I mean, that's not the right thing to do, but there you are. It's the only idea I've got for how she could've heard you. Oh, sorry, I've been rambling again, haven't I?"

"Maybe a little bit," said Ron, rubbing his arm at the spot where Hermione had grabbed it. They were now in the library, and Hermione was pulling out a thick, dusty tome from one of the higher-up shelves.

"Anyways," said Hermione, dropping the book on the table with a loud _thump_ , "my point is, did you see any insects or small creatures near you when we were talking? I mean, it wouldn't help much if she became, I don't know, a dust mite or a louse or tick, but still —"

"Actually," Harry interrupted her, after wracking his memory, "I think I might have seen a beetle on the windowsill."

"Oh!" said Hermione, furiously flipping the pages. "A beetle, huh? She must have arrived when the window was open! And...here's a way we could prove it! The _All-Encompassing A-Z Index of Anything Animagi_ says that that Animagi have marks on their animal form that match a feature they have as humans! Here, some of the things carried over are things like glasses. If we find a picture of Skeeter, we could see if the beetle had any features that match hers!"

"Uh, Hermione, there's one problem with that," said Ron hesitantly, as though afraid to get in the way of her fervency. "The thing is, the beetle's long gone now."

"Oh, that won't be a problem," said Hermione, pushing her bushy hair out of her face. "Remember how we were talking about extracting memories? Well, if we put them in a Pensieve, then we can watch them life-size and see if the beetle matches."

"Another problem with that," said Ron, as Hermione crouched to pull a copy of _The Magically Memorable Book of Memory Magic_ from the lower shelves. "Where are we supposed to get a Pensieve?"

"I thought of that too," said Hermione, straightening up and brushing off her robes. Ron glanced at Harry, his eyes seeming to say _Of course_. She hesitated. "Well, I couldn't think of any alternatives, but Professor Dumbledore has a Pensieve in his office."

"Are you, Miss Killed-or-Worse-Expelled," said Ron incredulously, "suggesting that we steal from the Headmaster himself?"

"Well, there are some things more important than school," said Hermione, flushing slightly. "We need to do this, for Harry."

Harry ducked his head, feeling his face redden.

"You are!" Ron exclaimed. He got a certain glint in his eye. "So what's our plan?"

"I did some research and asked some classmates," Hermione said, after giving her head a shake to clear it, "and Dumbledore's password always tends to be some kind of candy." She smirked. "And if anyone knows their candy, it's you, Ron."

Ron shrugged. "Well, at least I'm good for something."

"Thank you, both," Harry said fervently. "You really are the best friends a person could ask for."

"Don't mention it," Ron said, his ears going red.

Hermione smiled at him warmly, then it turned slightly sinister. "We'll get that Skeeter, mark my words. Collecting information via Animagus form is illegal, and if she _is_ an unregistered Animagus, this could mean _years_ in Azkaban…"

Harry suddenly found himself glad that he wasn't on Hermione's bad side.


End file.
